Lux et Umbra Vicissim
by Rowan
Summary: Draco Malfoy falls asleep in class one day and has strange dreams - dreams involving a certain arch-nemesis' parents. Angst, romance, drama in future parts.
1. Trance

Lux et Umbra Vicissim I : Trance

- Rowan 

A/N : My very first fic ever, so I'd enjoy any kind of feedback. I'm pretty new here, so forgive me if there's any etiquette I should be practicing. : ) Well, enjoy the fic… and forgive me if the Latin is wrong. 

Disclaimer : All of these people belong to J. K. Rowling, not me. The only thing I own is the silver bracelet. 

Draco idly scrawled 'Potter Stinks' on his notes. The heat and the heady fragrance of the June flowers were overpowering. All around him students were falling asleep over their papers, and Professor McGonagall herself was giving a slightly sleepy rendition of Transfiguration theorem. The class was very boring now that they were approaching more difficult methods, and the Professor insisted, of course, upon explaining the theory in detail. Only Hermione Granger remained fully awake, paying full attention, writing everything down. 

'Potter _Really_ Stinks' went down next. 

'– Mr Thomas, are you with us?' came Professor McGonagall's sharp voice as Dean Thomas's head drooped onto his ink-bottle. It fell over as he jerked up and spilt all over his hair. 

Draco smirked, then yawned again. The scent of the flowers and the sleepy, soothing murmur of the breeze were lulling him to sleep. Draco rested his head on his arm, shutting his eyes. 

A comforting warmth seemed to settle upon him, and he slept. 

* * * 

A light touch on his arm awoke the sleeping boy, and he jerked awake, one hand moving reflexively to touch his silvery hair. His eyelids lazily wandered shut again, holding out against the light, but he was awake; screwing up his eyes, he yawned. 

Suddenly he remembered where he was, and looked around wildly for Professor McGonagall. 

There was no Professor McGonagall. 

Nor was there a classroom. 

He was on a train, and from what he saw, the Hogwarts Express. Draco's pale grey eyes widened, and he gazed around. There was a small red-haired girl next to him; she was slender and short, with long red hair. She wore a sweet worried expression. Draco sat up, interested. 

'Is this compartment taken?' she asked. She had a nice voice. Draco liked her; she was of the sort which everyone wanted to protect. 

'No,' he replied in his usual drawl. 'You can sit here if you like.' 

'Thank you.' And she sat down across from him, her hands resting on her knees. She was wearing strange clothes – a pale green dress. Draco realised they were Muggle clothes, and was disgusted. Still, they looked nice on her. He wondered again how he had ended up on the Hogwarts Express. He hadn't lost his memory, had he? From what he remembered, Potter had never got close enough to punch him in the head, and anyway, he wouldn't be half strong enough…

As though answering a cue, the door opened, and Potter himself stumbled into the compartment. 

Draco breathed a sigh of relief – if Potter was here, everything was all right. It _was_ Harry Potter, wasn't it? That messy black hair, slender wrists… 

No scar. 

'Potter,' he called out to the boy, who looked up in surprise. 'What's happened to that lightning-bolt of yours?' 

The boy frowned, staring at him. 'How do you know my name? Er… Sirius ate it.' 

'_Ate_ it?' gasped Draco. This was seriously strange. 

The boy called Potter looked mildly interested. 'He ate it. Just snatched it out of my hands. Why? It was just candy…' He turned to the red-haired girl, who was watching them with wide innocent green eyes. Draco, however, knew enough about innocent eyes to know that this girl was not innocent at all. 'Hello,' he said, a touch more friendly than he ought to be when talking to a stranger. 'My name is James Potter, what's yours?' 

'Lily Stanton,' she said, a sweet half-smile appearing on her smooth white face, not unlike Draco's lopsided mocking grin. 

_James Potter_. 

Draco gasped. 

'Is something wrong?' asked Lily, looking at him again. 'You look a little ill.' 

'Nothing,' he told her. 'Nothing at all.' If James Potter was here – 

Where was _he_? Gone back, oh, more than thirty years? 

Draco felt like screaming. 

Someone outside the compartment did it for him – a playful yell reached their ears, and a moment later another black-haired boy tumbled into the compartment, followed by a serious boy with brown hair and a friendly grin. 'Sirius,' he threatened, 'give me back my book.' 

'Or what?' challenged the black-haired boy, holding it tantalisingly high. 

James laughed. 'Sit down, all of you. This is Lily, and this is –' He looked at Draco with a slight frown on his face. 'I'm sorry but I don't know you.' 

'Draco.' Draco looked at him. He looked so much like Harry that it was impossible to get rid of the idea. 'Er… you don't happen to have a son, do you? A son called Harry Potter?' 

Lily giggled and put her hand over her mouth. The other two boys snickered, and James looked perplexed. 

'Me, a _son_? That's very funny, Draco,' said James, shaking his head. 'Why Harry Potter? Such a common name, if you ask me…' 

'I think it's funny,' said the brown-haired boy. 

'It's a nice name,' said Lily. 

Draco gaped. That was surely Harry Potter's mother. 

'My name is Remus,' said the brown-haired boy. 'Remus Lupin. And _he_,' pointing to the black-haired boy, 'is Sirius Black.' 

If Draco's jaw had been able to unhinge, it would have been on the floor. 

'Criminal,' he breathed, before he could stop himself. 

'Yes, he is,' said Remus. 'He's stolen my book. Give it _here_, Sirius!' They plopped into the seats next to Draco, still battling for possession of the book. 

Draco settled back into his seat, feeling so uncomfortable he thought he was going to explode. He was sitting in a compartment with Harry Potter's parents, back when they were – from the looks of it, eleven. Lily was looking at him in a way that made him extremely uncomfortable. 

Then, as he was about to snap at her, she let out a shriek. The four boys in the compartment turned to her, staring. She pointed at Draco, who looked down at his hands – 

They were gone. 

He tried to gasp, but couldn't breathe. He was slowly dissolving into silvery mist… his feet were gone… his eyes… his whole body… 

And then darkness came. 

* * * 

He came to yet again with the same touch on his arm. Looking around wildly, he saw grey mist and fog, and he was standing next to a slender, pretty girl with long red hair. Lily of the train, now many years older. 

The mischievous half-smile reappeared on her face, and she hugged Draco close. He wept, crystal tears falling onto her white dress, and she took him by the wrist. Draco felt something cool and light being slipped around his hand. He looked at it through tear-blurred eyes – why was he crying? – and saw that it was a silver bracelet. 

'_Lux et Umbra Vicissim_,' he read, and then looked up at Lily. She smiled and pulled him close again, and Draco let his tears flood his eyes and his conscious mind. 

* * * 

Bright sunlight hit his eyes. Draco was on a sandy beach, on a multi-coloured towel with a black-haired boy and a red-haired boy. He held an ice cream cone in his hand. The boys next to him were laughing, joking. 

'James?' Draco asked sleepily. 

The black-haired one looked at him. 'No, I'm Harry,' he said. 'Have you lost it?' He looked skinny in a pair of swimming trunks and an oversized shirt, as did the red-haired one – Weasley. Draco looked down at himself. He was dressed in ordinary black robes. 

'How's the ice cream?' Ron asked, taking another bite out of his. 

'Just fine,' Draco replied in a daze. 

He looked at his wrist, remembering. The silver bracelet was still there. Harry noticed, and took hold of his wrist. 

'You're really thin, Malfoy,' he said. Then he tugged at the clasp. 'It won't come off.' 

'I know I'm thin, but at least I've got _some_ muscles, Potter,' said Draco. 

Ron looked at them both with a smirk on his face. He was a lot taller and stronger than either of them. 

'Don't even start,' threatened Draco. 

'Who gave it to you, Malfoy?' asked Harry, as though he had a perfect right to know. Draco stared apathetically at his jagged scar, wondering whether Harry would know anything about it. 

'Your mother,' he said. 'Lily Stanton.' 

Harry grabbed him by the shoulders and stared into his eyes. 'You met my _mother_, Malfoy?' 

'Yes. She's very pretty –' He stopped as Harry began to shake him. 

'You met my mother! Take me to see her, Draco! Please!' He stopped, looking thoughtful. 'Of course, you'll have to wake up first…' 

_Wake up first… wake up first… wake up… wake up…_

* * * 

The class watched in anticipation as Professor McGonagall strode purposefully over to the desk of the sleeping boy, Harry included. He was _really_ going to get it this time, wasn't he? 

He looked so peaceful in his sleep, pale silver-blond hair the colour of Galleons and Sickles, a usually malevolent pointed face angelic in rest. The class watched with bated breath as the Professor laid a hand on his shoulder. 

'Wake up,' she ordered, but Draco didn't stir. She shook him harder, but there was no difference. Even a stern command in her steeliest voice didn't move him. There were mutters from the students. 

'Is he even breathing?' 

'He looks dead.' 

'Drought of Living Death, didn't Professor Snape teach us that?' 

'No, it can't be, I can see him breathing.' 

Draco continued to sleep, his eyes closed, the angelic expression fixed on his face. This was to unwittingly change the… interests of many Slytherin girls, not to mention Gryffindors, towards him. Professor McGonagall paused in thought for a while, then spoke to the class. 

'I'm taking him to the hospital wing. Please try to figure out the theory I have been teaching you, meanwhile –' Her words were drowned in a murmur of voices as the students began to discuss the situation. Frowning, she lifted him by magic, and set off with him to the hospital wing. 

Madam Pomfrey was there, rolling up some bandages with her expert touch, and she took Draco, putting him into a white bed. 'He's in a trance,' she told Professor McGonagall. 'I have the remedy, but – how did he get into this position?' 

'He fell asleep in class.' 

'That's strange…' Madam Pomfrey took out a bottle of clear liquid and poured out a spoonful. Crossing to Draco, she opened his mouth and forced it down his throat. 

A few moments later, the angelic look was gone, and the familiar malevolent expression was present on Draco's pale pointed face, like a pixie gone wrong. He stared at Professor McGonagall. 

'Where's Harry?' he asked rather stupidly. 

'Harry?' repeated Professor McGonagall. 'Harry Potter?' 

Draco shook his head. 'Er… no.' He looked rather dazed. 'But I – I was with him just now!' Then he glanced down at his wrist, where Professor McGonagall saw a glittering silver bracelet. She saw him gasp, then hide his wrist under the bedclothes. 'I feel a little ill.' 

'You fell asleep in class, Mr Malfoy.' 

Draco's eyes widened. 

'Do you want me to fetch Harry?' 

He appeared to be thinking. 'Yes please, Professor.' Much more polite than he usually was, Professor McGonagall thought. As though it was painful, he added, 'Thank you.' 

* * * 

Harry was brought down to the hospital wing, very confused. Draco was lying in a white bed, looking a little green, and he was _lying _on one of his hands. 

'Yes?' he said. 

'I need to talk to you, Potter,' said Draco. And, with a glare at Professor McGonagall, added, 'Alone.' As she left quietly, he took his hand out from under him. Harry stared. He was wearing a silver bracelet on his left wrist. 

'What's wrong, Malfoy?' asked Harry, sitting on the edge of the bed and taking Draco by the wrist. 'And what's that? Finally decided to come out of the closet – or is it just a display of how effeminate a man can be?' 

Draco glared, a glare worthy of Medusa, and said, 'No, Potter, your mother gave it to me.' 

Harry turned slightly pale. 'This isn't funny, Malfoy,' he said, in a slightly quavering voice. 'My mother is dead, and I'll thank you not to rub it in.' 

'No, really, Potter,' insisted Draco. 'Your mother gave it to me. She's really beautiful.' 

Harry got up, dropping Draco's wrist. 'STOP it, Malfoy,' he said, his voice tired. 'It really isn't funny.' 

Draco sat up in bed, wisps of white-blond hair framing his pixyish face. 'Potter,' he said. 'Wait. I went into a trance just now.' 

'And so?' 

'I met your parents.' Draco told Harry the entire story. The black-haired boy seemed almost distraught. When he had finished, silence sank in for a moment – and then the pale boy was surprised by a pair of hands grabbing his shoulders. Harry shook him, his face wearing a desperate expression. 

'You saw my mother,' he said, in a voice that seemed strangely choked. 'You saw my father.' 

'Yes,' said Draco, wondering whether trances made your neck extra weak or whether it was just Potter shaking him extra hard. 'I saw you too.' 

'It's true then…' Harry let out a hooting sigh. 'You have to take me to see her – to see them! My parents – you saw them…' He let go of Draco and let his hands fall to the bed. 'And she gave you that.' He took Draco's wrist again, and read, '_Lux et Umbra Vicissim_.' 

'Know any Latin, Potter?' 

'Not really. We can always ask Dumbledore.' 

'There is,' stated Draco flatly, 'no_ way_ we are asking Dumbledore.' 

'Why ever not?' 

Draco cradled his wrist to his hand. 'I just don't want anyone to know about this, Potter.' There was an unfathomable expression in his cold grey eyes. 'I'd switch places with you any time, even give you the bracelet, but unfortunately I can't even take it off, or control my trances.' He was remembering Lily Stanton, how he had wept in her embrace. Somehow the bracelet was significant to him. 

Harry sighed. 'Life isn't fair. I just – just, you know, want to meet them.' 

'I'll tell you when I see them again – _if_I see them again.' 

With this assurance Harry left the hospital wing, leaving Draco to fall asleep amongst the fragrances of summer flowers and the soft snoring of Eloise Midgeon in the next bed, who had this time cursed her eyebrows off. 

* * * 

'Hermione,' said Harry, intercepting his friend as she exited the library. 'I need your help.' 

'Why?' she asked, faint surprise showing on her face. 

'Er… nothing. Just something for… Divination.' Harry couldn't think of another subject that he was taking and not Hermione. 'Know any Latin? Can you translate a phrase for me?' 

'A little,' she replied. 'What's the phrase? And what's the old bat want with it? Another prophecy?' 

'Yeah,' said Harry. '_Lux et Umbra Vi_ – _Vicissim_, I think it was.' 

Hermione frowned. 'I've seen that inscription before,' she said. 'Light and Shadow… Light and Shadow something. I think Vicissim means by turns – Light and Shadow by turns. What kind of stupid prophecy is _this_?' 

'It's pretty,' said Harry, wondering why his mother would have given Draco that bracelet. 

'Yes, I guess so,' said Hermione, shouldering her book bag. 'Come on, Harry, Ron's waiting.' 

As they set off to meet their red-haired friend, there were five words spinning in Harry's mind. 

_Light and Shadow by turns… Light and Shadow by turns…_


	2. I Wasn't Stark Naked

Lux et Umbra Vicissim II - I Wasn't Stark Naked 

- Rowan 

A/N : The second part of my first fic. It's taken a little longer than the last because I've got a lot of homework… Enjoy! Draco does weird stuff, Hermione gets nervous, pink has a strange appearance in a trance… and Harry is strangely jealous. Well, with that, enjoy if you can… :) Forgive me for stupid mistakes. I'm not too familiar with this stuff.

Oh, and thanks to priya, Portia, Jenn, Teardrop005, PikaCheeka, Katia, Jyfae, Arrabella Arithmancy, elel88, Person, magical*little*me, Landry Anne, luke, Rin Berry, Vcdunk613, Caitlin, Inspiring Author, Lydia Travers and Al for reviewing! Priya reminds me of a friend of mine with the same name.

Disclaimer : All HP characters and places belong to J. K. Rowling.

Harry persuaded Draco to stay a few days in the library with him and Hermione to look up trances. He was very eager to try it himself, and Hermione was very eager to do some research. Draco sat in the corner, scowling, hoping no one would notice that he was with a bunch of Gryffindors. The only reason he was staying there was the hope that he would be able to go into the trance again, to see Lily Stanton. 

Hermione had piled a stack of books by the side of the table, and was poring over a thick tome full of dust. Draco found her enthusiasm amusing and spent most of his time staring at her with a smirk on his face. He liked the colour of her hair and the way she bent over her books.

'Look, it says that only certain people can go into trances and bring things back,' she told them, reading out of a red-bound book. It was by now very late and there was no one in the library. 'Like Malfoy brought back that bracelet… It also says that if you go into a trance without trying someone may be controlling you, perhaps trying to contact you.'

Draco frowned. 'Who?' he asked.

'My mother,' said Harry suddenly, sounding a little as though he had swallowed dust.

Hermione patted his arm, still looking in the book. 'It's all right, Harry. I think we can induce some of Malfoy's trances, we just have to wait until we feel the signal.'

'What signal?' interrupted Draco rudely.

'Your bracelet, Malfoy. You're wearing it.'

Draco looked at her with narrowed eyes. 'Yes, Granger. I'm wearing it. You knew. It's no _wonder _the teachers think you're so smart.' Hermione bit her lip, then looked down at the book. Harry shot Draco a venomous glare, worthy of Draco himself.

'You'll be able to feel it,' she said in a more subdued tone. 'You'll feel them calling.'

'Malfoy,' said Harry. 'You realise I want that bracelet.'

Draco sighed. 'I can't take it off, Potter, even if I want to.' He twisted a lock of silver-blond hair in his fingers thoughtfully. 'I want to see your mother again.'

Harry glanced at him with narrowed eyes, then opened the book Hermione passed him. Draco half-heartedly searched the index under T. His grey eyes skimmed the paper, not seeing anything. He took to observing the other two – Harry with wild locks of black hair falling over his face, glasses slightly askew, Hermione with her long brown hair down her back and her face intent. She suddenly snapped her fingers – she had long, strong fingers. Draco and Harry looked at her.

'Malfoy,' she said, 'come here.'

He came to stand by her side, and she pointed to a passage in the book. 'You can induce a short trance, however, it will not be as effective,' she read. 'Malfoy, hold out your arm.'

He held out his left arm, the one wearing the glittering silver bracelet. She took his hand. Unexpectedly he snapped it away. 'What are you going to do?'

'I'm trying,' she said, with a slightly hurt tone to her voice, 'to induce a trance.'

He gave her his hand again.

'Try to connect to it,' she said softly. 'Call her.'

Draco shut his eyes, feeling extremely silly. Hermione looked at his closed lids. 'Call her,' she repeated. His mouth moved silently.

'Is anything happening?' asked Harry, coming up beside them. Hermione put her finger to her lips, then shut her eyes. Draco stopped, twitched, then opened one eye.

'This is silly,' he said.

Hermione, opening her eyes, glared at him. 'It _works_!' she insisted, tugging him slightly closer to the chair. 'You need me to tie you down so you don't get caught in… well, wherever it is you go. Come on, try again. Call, and don't break the connection.'

Harry watched dubiously as both shut their eyes. Neither moved for a little while; Draco's hand in Hermione's looked very small and fragile. Hermione's eyes opened and she looked at Draco in fright; suddenly he keeled over and fell straight on top of her.

'He's gone,' she whispered to Harry. 'I could feel him leaving.' She looked at him awkwardly. 'And I'm not supposed to move him.'

'Why not?' said Harry. 'I'm sure the spirit world can make allowances, under the circumstances.' And he looked pointedly at Draco, who was peacefully sleeping on Hermione.

'He's leaving of his own accord,' she told him. 'He won't be able to find his way back to his body if you do.'

Harry took Draco by the shoulders and gently propelled him into a chair. He was dead weight. Harry looked at him. His eyes were shut and his breathing shallow.

'We've got to wait for him to come 'round,' said Hermione firmly.

'Can't we just leave him here and let him wake up on his own?' complained Harry.

'He needs me to call him back,' said Hermione. She took his hand again and shut her eyes. Draco didn't move.

* * *

It was strange, very strange. Harry was wearing Draco's clothes.

'Potter,' said Draco, looking at his best dress robes. 'Give me back my clothes.'

Harry didn't do anything, just stared at Draco. Then he began to laugh, and laugh, and laugh.

It suddenly occurred to Draco that he might be stark naked. He looked down at himself and saw pink. He was wearing a pink dressing-gown and had pink butterflies on each of his fluffy pink shoes.

Draco screamed.

* * *

When he returned both Harry and Hermione were staring at him with wide eyes. Neither said anything at first, and then Harry grabbed Draco's hands. 'Did you see them?' he asked.

Still slightly dazed, Draco looked at Harry. 'No,' he said. 'I saw you.'

Harry looked perplexed.

'You were wearing my best dress robes. And then –' He stopped abruptly. Potter was _not _going to know what had happened.

'And then?'

'Nothing. I came back,' he said swiftly.

Harry didn't look convinced. 'So was that a trance?' he asked Hermione, who was still holding Draco by the wrist. She let go of him and looked into the book.

'Trances can consist of journeys through imaginary terrain, meeting the dead, and finding oneself in a familiar place far from home,' she said. 'Nothing about finding oneself stark naked, Malfoy.'

He scowled darkly. 'I _wasn't_ stark naked.'

'Then what _were_ you wearing?' she asked. The look on his face deterred further questioning.

'Let's go back,' grumbled Harry, most uncharacteristically. Both Hermione and Draco stared at him. 'I'm tired,' he amended, 'and I've got Quidditch practice first thing tomorrow morning.'

'I want to do some extra research,' said Hermione firmly. 'I'll stay down here.'

'Bring your books up to the common room.'

She had a resolute expression on her face. 'I need him.'

Harry stared at her. 'Have it your way then,' he said faintly. 'But don't stay down here too late.' He exited the library, leaving the other two in the almost-empty library.

'Do you really need me here?' he asked. 'I have something to do back in the common room.'

'What, snog Pansy Parkinson?' she retorted. He fell silent, two spots of colour appearing high on his cheeks.

Hermione opened a particularly thick leather-bound book. 'A Complete History of Magic,' she told him, and Draco yawned loudly. She looked at him with narrowed eyes. 'Malfoy, this is IMPORTANT. Very important. I think I've found something on you.'

'Which is?' he said, just for the sake of annoying her.

She flipped the musty pages, arriving at somewhere around the middle of the book. In a hushed tone, she told him, 'The book explains various types of magic, and it says we all have Standard Magic, wand magic. It controls anything and everything using a medium, the wand.'

'Yes,' said Draco, 'and your point is?'

'There's another section to Magic,' she said, rolling her eyes. 'In fact, there are four. Ours is the second – the first is Sensitive Magic, in which a non-magical individual can change nature in a limited manner, sort of like making flowers grow. The third is Hand Magic, in which powerful wizards or witches can direct spells without a wand –'

'Do cut to the point,' said Draco.

Her mouth tightened, and she turned a few pages. 'The fourth level of Magic is born into some people, Malfoy. And I think it was born into you.'

'Pray tell, what is it?' he asked in a bored drawl, but Hermione noticed that he was leaning on his elbows and sitting up straighter. She bent over the book, rubbing her eyes to keep herself awake.

'The fourth level of Magic is Wild Magic. The power lies in the mind, and these individuals are able to alter the universe drastically at the height of their power, and at the very least find anything lost and enter trances, leaving the body behind. However, this level of Magic is difficult to control and can have drastic consequences if misused.' She looked up at him. 'There's more, and some of it suits you.'

Draco looked at her. 'So you're saying that I was born with the _capacity_ for Wild Magic,' he said.

'Yes,' she said, sounding slightly impressed. 'Of those who are born with Wild Magic, only some learn to use it. In fact, many don't even realise they have it. Sometimes when a person with Wild Magic is provoked or strongly moved their power exhibits itself.'

He was looking at her with a faintly amused expression that she wouldn't have thought him capable of. It was the kind of expression Harry often wore. 'You think I have Wild Magic?'

'Yes,' she said. 'Those with Wild Magic usually start off with Wand Magic.' With a snap she closed the book. 'I'll tell you about it tomorrow, if you'll come back during lunch… please?'

He'd never seen her say 'please' like that before, it just wasn't the kind of thing girls like Hermione did.

'Don't say please,' he told her suddenly. 'It's more interesting when you're bossy.'

For a moment her eyes snapped fire. 'All right. If you say so, Malfoy,' she said. 'Come back to the library tomorrow during lunch.'

'And that's why I asked you not to say please,' he said. 'It's so much easier for me to refuse you this way. You see I'm not remotely interested in any of this at all.' This was a blatant lie – he really _was_ interested – but he wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to be as horribly rude as he could.

She let out a loud exasperated sigh and started to pile up the books. 'Fine. Be that way. After all the time I've spent at the library looking it up for you.' She slammed the last book on top of the pile. 'For a moment I'd thought you had changed. You're just as horrible as you always were –'

Before she could continue Draco put a cold white hand on her shoulder. 'Hermione,' he said, his voice tinged with an emotion she could not name. 'Shut up.' And, tugging her closer so that she almost fell against him, he kissed her.

Later she was to wonder whether the bit about snogging Pansy had been right after all – he'd evidently had practice. She drew away, breathless, as he gave her a lazy smile.

'What was that for?' she asked, with large accusing eyes.

'To shut you up,' he said. 'Now would you even consider forgiving me?'

'No,' she said instantly.

'Have it your way,' he said, and disappeared.

* * *

There was an annoying fluttering sound, and Draco couldn't stand it any longer. 'Cut it _out_!' he yelled, and turned around to see Sirius Black staring at him.

'It's _you_ again,' he said in an awed tone. Lily hurried over to look at him. 'We saw him on the Hogwarts Express!'

'Yes, it's me again,' said Draco. 'What're you going to do about it?'

They seemed a little older, though not very much, and the air was a lot colder. Lily's hair was longer. He noticed that he was in the Gryffindor dorm, and it was the _girls'_ dormitory.

'Sirius,' he said. 'What are you doing in the girls' dorm?'

Sirius had the grace to look embarrassed. 'There's no one else here,' he said. 'It's the holidays.' Lily was smiling mischievously.

'How do you get here?' she asked. 'What are you? I mean, no one _else_ has ever been able to Apparate into Hogwarts.'

'I don't apparate,' said Draco slightly crossly. 'I go into trances, and I just end up here. I mean, the last time I went into a trance, I saw your son. And he was wearing my clothes.'

'My son?' said Lily. 'I have a son? What's he look like?' She raised an eyebrow. 'Who's the father?'

Draco shook his head vigorously.

Sirius grinned. 'I seem to recall that the last time you were here it was James who had a son.'

Lily slapped him without a trace of a blush on her face. 'James is a _brat_!'

Draco smirked. 'So what year is this?' he asked.

'We're first years,' said Sirius. 'Hogwarts is wonderful.'

Lily pushed him playfully. 'Sirius here has an arch-enemy already.'

'Who's he?' asked Draco, thinking of his own arch-enemy and wondering morbidly whether she would kill him if she found out who he was.

Sirius made a face. 'He just glides through the halls like a ghost. Tall, skinny and greasy – can't stand him. He's really pathetic. Last week I tried to pass him some Cockroach Cluster, but he wouldn't take it. His name's Severus Snape, but we call him different things each week.'

Draco gasped. The Potions master at Hogwarts? His favourite teacher? _Pathetic_?

'Cockroach Cluster?' said Lily sharply. 'You never told me about that.'

'Er – a third-year passed it to me,' said Sirius quickly, with a disarming grin. She frowned at him, then looked back at Draco. He sat down carefully on the bed next to them. 'So – you're Draco, right? Er – why are you here?'

'He likes to see us,' inferred Lily with her sweet smile.

Draco grinned. 'I suppose you could say that… but I can't control it.'

The door creaked and a moment later Remus swung in. He was thinner than the others, with gentler features. Draco saw him as the kind of person who was often picked on. Lily smiled at him. 'Hello, Remus. Where's James?'

'Detention – pulling jokes on Hooknose again,' said Remus, flopping down onto the bed. Then he noticed Draco and his eyes widened. 'Who's _he_?'

Lily explained in a hushed voice. Remus's eyebrows drew down, but he didn't say anything. Draco, who was growing increasedly discomfited, touched the bracelet and said nothing.

'Draco,' said Lily, turning to him with her sweet green-eyed smile. 'Tell me about my son.' She sounded almost wistful. 'Is he tall? Handsome?'

Draco snickered behind his hand, and replied, 'No, he's short and skinny and has glasses.'

'Is he a nice person?'

Draco frowned. Somehow he couldn't bring himself to say no.

'He's brave,' he admitted painfully, 'and he's loyal.'

'That's good,' said Lily, and suddenly she seized his arm. 'It's a little silly to be talking about one's son when one's only eleven,' she said, laughing. 'Let's do something else.' Then her green eyes fell on the bracelet he wore. 'What's that?'

As her cool hands slipped around it he felt darkness again, and surrendered.

* * *

A note fell onto his desk during Potions the next day, and Draco unfolded it curiously, rubbing his eyes. He was tired – apparently the trance had taken strength.

_Have any dreams last night? – HP _

Draco looked over at where Harry was working, but he was avoiding Draco's eyes. Sighing, Draco put a handful of crushed beetles onto the scales that stood like silent pillars on his desk.

He looked up at Harry again, and this time the green-eyed boy was looking back at him over his cauldron. Draco nodded slowly.

'About what?' he could see Harry mouthing, but pretended not to understand, and turned back, his right-hand fingers caressing the engravings in the bracelet. _Lux et Umbra Vicissim._

Another note flew through the air, and Draco suspected it was magically aided.

_What about? – HP _

_Your mother again_, Draco wrote surreptitiously, suspending his quill in the air as he thought, _and Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin… They're still first-years. – DM. _Then he decided that DM looked rather funny and crossed it out, vicious black slashes across the calm white paper.

He tossed it back, and Harry caught it, nearly knocking his glasses off.

The next note that flew across behind Snape's back read _Meet me after class – please. Hermione has something she wants to say to you. – HP._ It sounded so much like Hermione that Draco laughed.

_All right_, he wrote back, _but only if it's important… _Throwing it back, he looked at Harry, who was rolling his eyes. Hermione was looking at him with a small grin. He smirked at her and the grin disappeared.

For some reason, he just lived for doing that.

* * *

'Hello, Malfoy,' said Harry, as Draco caught up with him in the corridor on the way to lunch.

'Hello,' returned Draco, falling into step with him. 'Could we just talk here, instead of there?'

Harry gazed at him with narrowed eyes. 'You just don't want the other Slytherins to see you.'

'True,' said Draco, with no sign of embarrassment on his face. 'Too true.' He stopped walking, and so did Harry. 'You wanted to talk to me, Potter,' he said. 'What about?'

'You know very well what about,' said Harry, with no trace of a smile. 'You dreamt about my mother again. What happened?'

Draco told him, leaving out nothing. Harry seemed particularly shocked at the description of him that Draco had given Lily. 'You told her I was brave and loyal?' he gasped, standing flat-backed against the wall. 'You told her she had a _son_?'

'The questions seem a little mixed up, Potter,' said Draco lazily. 'But yes, I did tell her that.'

'I can't believe you said something like that,' said Harry. 'Something good about _me_.' He too sounded almost wistful, pushing one toe against the cold stone floor. 'I should've thought you'd tell her I was a skinny little runt who wore glasses.'

'Yeah, that too,' said Draco cheerfully. 'Did you think I'd leave it out?'

Harry grinned tentatively, and then his face fell into straight lines again, making him look slightly older. 'Hermione thinks she's found a way.'

'Found a way to what?'

'To send me with you.' Harry sounded excited and worried at the same time, a sort of guilty pleasure; Draco looked at him, curious. 'But it'll involve quite a lot of work on your part,' added Harry, frowning.

'That doesn't matter,' said Draco almost cheerfully. 'As long as I get to show your mother that you really _are_ her son. You see, I don't think she really believes that her son could be so terribly unattractive.'

'Shut up, Malfoy,' said Harry, but there was no anger in his words; he sounded almost friendly.

They found Hermione around the corner, carrying some books; as soon as she saw them she dropped the books with a pleased smile. 'Oh, _there_ you are. I've been doing some extra research…'

Harry nodded and shoved Draco forwards. 'You wanted to talk to him?' Draco smiled catlike, making her feel uneasy.

'Er – I – we need to see you tomorrow night at the third floor girl's bathroom,' she explained hurriedly. 'I think I've found a way to send Harry along with you just once. You'd better get a good night's sleep tonight, because it takes a lot out of you.'

'Exactly how do you plan to do this?' asked Draco.

'The bracelet seems to be a method of communication, and I'll put a Strengthening Charm on it…' She shook her head. 'It's pretty complicated. Harry needs a potion to go into a trance, and you'll have to guide him through it through your own trance. If you break the connection he could fly anywhere and be killed.' Her large brown eyes looked up at him. 'Is that, you know, OK with you?'

Draco didn't answer for a minute – his eyes were far away. Finally he looked back at her. 'You know,' he said. 'I rather liked kissing you.'

He had forgotten about Harry.

'Did you?' she asked, keeping a straight face, studying the way his hair fell over his forehead in elegantly messy silver locks. 'Well, I still haven't forgiven you.'

'Would you forgive me if I did it again?' And, without waiting for an answer, he kissed her, one hand cupping her cheek. She didn't pull away, but closed her eyes.

It was lucky they couldn't see the expression on Harry's face – it would probably have sent Hermione into a dead faint. And then as they finally pulled apart, there was a strange cracking noise.

The portrait that usually hung on the wall in front of the pair of them had cracked in two.


	3. Always Love

Lux et Umbra Vicissim III - Always Love

- Rowan

A/N : I'm so sorry that I took so long… I have final exams in a very short while! Please forgive me for the shortness of this post. I absolutely PROMISE the next will be longer. Thanks to LC, CSHayden, Leyo, Inspiring Author, Al, magical*little*me, Paco the magnificent penguin, elel88, Suki China-Lantern, Destiny, Jenn, whitney, Viola, Katia, Landry Anne, tippy, Juliet Davis and A. Smith for reviewing!

Disclaimer : All belong to J. K. Rowling, you know the drill.

There was silence for about ten agonising seconds – or perhaps it was fifteen. None of the three moved an inch, Draco's pale large eyes like chips of ice, Hermione's pleading brown eyes, Harry's green eyes that had never looked so stunned before.

Then, as usual, Draco broke the silence – by turning swiftly and staring at Harry, his feet swishing on the stone floor. Hermione stared at the portrait, cracked in two, with wide horrified eyes.

'Potter,' said Draco. 'Remember – you have to be calm…'

He was intercepted by Hermione, who very unfortunately still had her hand on Draco's arm. 'Harry,' she pleaded. 'Did you do that?'

Harry looked very coldly at her and shrugged. Never before had a shrug been so final. Draco would, of course, have done it better most of the time, but those horribly cold green eyes could almost match Draco's now.

'Did you?' asked Draco curiously.

'Did _you_?' asked Harry, looking at Draco's bracelet.

Hermione looked at both of them, then seemed to stiffen her resolve. 'Stop it,' she said. 'Stop it, both of you.'

'I never started anything,' said Harry in that adorably snooty yet childish voice he usually reserved for Dudley and Aunt Petunia. Draco looked at him with more than a tinge of amusement. Seeing this, Harry turned on his heel and stalked off down the corridor, his footsteps making short staccato beats on the cold stone floor.

Hermione turned to Draco. '_One _of you must have done it.'

'Done what?'

'Cracked the portrait.' She reached out to run her fingers over the smooth grass in the painting and the rough edges of the separation. 'You or him. You're the one with Wild Magic.'

'Yeah,' said Draco dubiously, 'but I didn't feel anything…' He grinned suddenly. 'Other than –'

'I DON'T want to hear it,' interrupted Hermione. 'What did you do that for?' she said suddenly, turning on him. 'Did you just want to make him angry with me?' Her hair was slightly tousled, and she was breathing rather quickly. 'You'll be pleased to know it worked.'

'But,' said Draco.

'You just like getting a rise out of all of us!' She was breathing very quickly by now; Draco had never supposed the ever-collected Hermione could become agitated so fast. 'You're just the same as always. Good at manipulation!' And with that, she stalked away in the same direction as Harry had.

'But,' said Draco again, then decided that it wasn't worth it and stalked off the other way.

* * *

'I'm so full,' said a voice behind him, 'I think I'm going to burst.'

Draco's pale hair hit the speaker in the face as he turned swiftly. A muffled 'Ow!' reminded him somehow of Harry. It was James Potter, clutching the corner of his eye and groaning.

'Sorry,' he said very insincerely. The fact that James looked very much like Harry did not help any possible feelings of apology or need for forgiveness.

'You need a haircut,' said a soft voice behind him in a tone of amusement. It was Lily, Draco realised instantly, and turned to her. She was stretching out a hand to pull on a long strand of hair. Surprising himself, he let her.

'He needs a haircut,' said James, 'and he's sitting in the bouillabaisse. Or,' he corrected himself, 'what's _left_ of the bouillabaisse…'

Draco looked beneath him hurriedly and realised that he was indeed sitting in the bouillabaisse. Further explorings told him that he was sitting in the half-finished plate of bouillabaisse.

'Ugh,' he said, getting off quickly. He slipped off the table and dropped lightly to the ground. 'I'll bet there are stains.' Then he blushed rather uncharacteristically. 'I mean –'

'No, there's nothing on you,' said Lily, with a rather evil grin. 'Nothing at all.'

'You told me he came again last Christmas holidays,' said James, looking at Draco with slight annoyance. 'And you told me he says he knows your son.'

Draco winced.

'Yes,' said Lily. 'You were serving the detention, remember?'

'Yeah,' said James in the tone of someone who is extremely unconvinced. 'But… he's wearing a bracelet.'

Lily's hands closed around it again, but this time Draco felt no tendrils of darkness reaching out to grab him, and sighed in relief. 'It's pretty. And it looks really nice on you.'

Draco knew, just _knew_ from the expression on James's face that he was dying to say 'It looks _gay_.' It was something Harry would have said. James didn't appear to like the smirk on his face, either. Was it just him or had the identical expression of jealousy run over Harry's face when he had – when he had…

'Thanks,' he said, allowing her to run her fingers over the engraving on the bracelet. Did she not remember that she had given it to him?

With a small sigh she released his wrist and grinned quietly. The grin reminded him of something and he looked around. 'Where are the others?'

James smiled for the first time. 'Sirius and Remus? And Peter? They're over _there_ –' and he pointed to a group of boys appearing to have a slight disagreement with Severus Snape. Well, two were – one was standing and watching, and the other, Severus Snape himself, was folding his arms with a familiar look on his face.

Painfully Draco averted his eyes and realised that Lily was gazing at him again.

'Lily,' said James, evidently disliking very much the look that Lily was giving Draco.

She gave a small smile, and turned to James. 'Yes?' And Draco felt himself floating upwards, drifting away through the walls… it was a very pleasant feeling, drifting to the ceiling of the Great Hall during what he knew must be the Sorting and feast, and watching the others from above.

He could hear the conversation of Lily and James very clearly; they seemed to have forgotten that he had ever existed, and were now discussing him.

'That Draco person,' said James. 'He's… _weird_.'

Lily smiled, one hand cupping her cheek as she leant comfortably against the table. 'He's quite good-looking, though, James… and he seems very nice.'

James gave a snort. '_Good-looking_?' he yelped, as though someone had just poked him in the ribs with a skewer. 'But _Lily_ – he's so thin and – and he's – _blond_!'

The dreamy expression on Lily's face was slightly disturbing to the boy floating up on the ceiling. 'He looks like an angel sometimes,' she said thoughtfully. 'And he looks better skinny. And,' she looked James in the eye, 'he has a _very_ nice… posterior.'

'_LILY_!' James's cry of outrage momentarily stunned the hall.

* * *

Charms, now. Charms was a class that was generally energetic, joyful and… squeaky.

'Swish and flick!' squeaked little Professor Flitwick, swishing his own wand. Draco glanced over at Harry, who was sitting with Ron while Hermione on Ron's left was looking almost agitated.

Lazily Draco swished and flicked, his silver bracelet glinting as it shook to the rhythm of his arm movements.

'Now, repeat after me…' Draco heard Flitwick say vaguely; he was feeling sleepier than ever.

A note flew across the class in the form of a paper pellet and hit him in the back of the head. Putting one hand up to catch it and looking reproachfully at Potter, Draco read the note. _Is tonight still on? – HP _

_Yes,_ he wrote. _And I had a dream last night. About your mother._ Then he sent the note sailing back malevolently so that it caught Harry on the nose.

_What happened this time? – HP_

He was surprised. Harry actually didn't sound very angry any more.

_I'll tell you later_.

He wasn't sure if Harry was going to like the bit about the James/Lily conversation. No sir…

Oh, sod it. Who _cared_ what Potter thought? It wasn't as if his feelings actually mattered to Draco.

* * *

Hermione came out to meet him that night at the entrance to the bathroom. Before her Draco had enjoyed a vague feeling of solitary walking-to-his-doom-ness, footsteps echoing strangely along the floor, the fingers of one hand clutched tightly around his silver bracelet. Then a small thin forlorn brown-haired Hermione clutched his hand, begging him to keep quiet, and telling him that Harry still wasn't speaking to her and that Myrtle was howling extra loud today…

Then he was actually inside, and confronted with a simmering cauldron and a very miserable piece of ectoplasm who wouldn't stop howling. It was Myrtle, and Harry stood over the cauldron with a determined face.

'Hello, Malfoy,' he said, not looking up. Hermione looked at him, still clutching Draco's hand, and led him over to a cubicle.

'I'm so glad you came,' she said. 'It's dangerous, I know, to be out here at night…'

'Yeah, I know,' said Draco. He privately gave up on both of them – her and Harry both. They were acting very strangely. First they refused to talk to him or screamed at him, then they turned right around… Hermione was practically clutching his hand. He refused to let his heart soften. Who cared if she was miserable? And about _Potter_?

'Hold out your left arm,' she said.

Draco obliged.

She tapped it with her wand, whispering some words which sounded strangely familiar, and Draco felt a surge of energy run into his arm. 'Ow,' he said, from force of habit, and Hermione looked worried.

'Oh dear, it didn't go wrong, did it?' Her face, bending over his wrist, was so distraught that Draco was almost sympathetic.

'You need to stop worrying,' he told her, steadying her with one hand. 'It's all right.' At the touch of his long pale fingers she shrunk back a little.

'Draco – _don't_. Harry will be even angrier than he is…'

'Sod Harry,' he was about to say, when the boy in question rapped on the cubicle. With easy fingers Draco opened the door. 'Yes, Potter?'

'I'm ready,' said Harry in a dazed voice. 'Drank – the – potion…'

'Oh, Harry,' said Hermione almost tenderly – making Draco want to throw up then and there – and steered him out to the wall, where he blinked and leant his head back. 'You should have waited… try to hold on, now, try to hold on…'

Harry tried to say something, but no sound came out of his mouth. He nodded.

'Can you hold on to Draco's bracelet?' asked Hermione. Draco took Harry's hand and wrapped its fingers around his wrist. 'That's good… sit _down_ both of you…'

It was too late as she said this, for both the boys had collapsed onto the floor. Harry's eyes were closed, but just before he went out Draco murmured to Hermione, making her wonder whether he was delirious:

'Potter… you really like him, don't you, Hermione…?'

And then he too was gone. She pushed a loose strand of hair out of Draco's eyes, feeling very strange; she had never had the liberty to actually touch him before. Ugh, she thought to herself, you are _not_ going there.

Still, it was nice to be able to observe both of them without disturbance; Harry really looked very sweet when he slept, with his dark locks falling everywhere, and the lines of his mouth relaxed into a half-smile. Draco's pixie-gone-wrong looks were more angelic than pixyish, or a little bit of both… For lack of a better word, the word that formed in Hermione's mind was 'adorable'. Hermione smiled slightly as she stepped back, sitting cross-legged on the floor.

Soon she noticed a change in the two boys; Harry was looking fresh, revitalised, peaceful. His hair fell in glossy locks onto his forehead. Even his hands – they were moving slightly, shaking Draco's wrist. And there was a change in Draco.

He looked suddenly very tired, as though he were drained. Longish silver-blond hair looked paler than usual somehow, and his eyelashes fluttered.

They were, actually, devastating eyelashes.

Hermione stopped herself hurriedly. _Such a sap_, she thought to herself. _He… kisses me twice, and I'm already… but he's better than Harry, he _talks_ to me…_ She refused to think any more, and turned her thoughts to Harry.

Was it just her, or…

Did he look like he was _feeding_?

No. It couldn't be…

It was going to be a very long wait.

Hermione settled down into a comfortable position on the floor, her eyes drifting half-closed. Just then Harry moaned slightly, and her eyes popped open. If she was going to wait here all night, why not pass the time agreeably?

Not only did Draco have devastating eyelashes, he also had very attractive elbows…

* * *

Harry felt very strange.

It was a good kind of strange, though; there was a bright light in front of him, and he was drawing strength from the light. Yet the light was cold; it blazed with a kind of white angry heat…

Malfoy.

Yes, it was Malfoy, and he was giving Harry strength…

Harry instinctively tried to fight. He didn't need strength from Malfoy, or anybody else. Turning, he tried to walk away from the light, but he couldn't.

'Potter.' A strange, resonating voice. 'Do you want to see your parents, or not?'

'I do,' said Harry, his voice shaky.

'Then quit trying to get away, or I might just decide to drop you!' And with that, Harry was catapulted through darkness, flying without wings, falling…

* * *

'James? James!'

A voice broke through his consciousness. Harry blinked twice, shutting his eyes again. The voice was musical, soft. 'James?'

A rough hand seized Harry by the shoulders. 'James, wake up.'

Harry's eyes opened, and he saw a boy with tousled dark hair and clean-cut features. It was very familiar.

It was Sirius Black.

Same eyes.

He couldn't think clearly.

'James, what are you doing out here?' asked Sirius, pushing Harry's hair away from his face. 'And what happened to your forehead?'

'Poor thing,' said the musical voice, bending down to touch the scar. 'We all know James. Always gallivanting everywhere, always off with someone else…' Harry was startled at the touch of bitterness in the sweet voice; it was familiar somehow…

'Mum,' he said, clearly and suddenly.

Lily Stanton looked down at him in surprise.

The moment was, of course, spoilt by howls of derisive laughter from Sirius.

'_Mum_!' he howled, hopping on one foot. 'Lily, he's gone off his…'

'Wait,' said Lily, turning to Harry. 'Your name is…?'

'Harry,' said the boy lying on the grass. 'Harry Potter.'

'I – I'm your mother?' Lily asked, her green eyes searching his face. 'Draco told me – I had a son – but where _is_ he?'

'I don't know…' said Harry. He felt as though there was treacle in his head. 'He sent me here. You're – I think you're my mother. Lily Potter.'

Sirius, who had stopped laughing, was staring at Lily with wide eyes. 'Potter?' he breathed.

Lily reached out a hand to cup Harry's cheek. 'I'm beginning to believe that I need a mental hospital,' she said. 'But Harry, I'm prepared to believe you for now. Nice to meet you.' She looked like she was trying to conceal shock – and horror. Harry didn't blame her.

_I wonder if I'll have a son or a daughter,_ he thought to himself.

'Let's take him back to the castle,' said Sirius, 'it's going to rain…'

Harry never heard him finish, because the silver spots in his eyes which demanded his attention finally got the better of him.

* * *

He was walking through mist. Grey mist. His head was clear again. And there was someone before him… Lily… his mother…

'Mum,' he whispered. She looked older, wiser, a little sadder.

'Harry,' she returned, taking his hand. 'I'm proud of you.'

'But I haven't done anything,' protested Harry.

'Light and shadow by turns,' said Lily, taking him in her arms, 'but always love. Always love, Harry.'

* * *

'Ow,' said Draco.

This was not the reaction Hermione had been looking for.

'What happened?'

'You never told me taking Potter would be so _painful_.' He was flexing his left wrist with a grimace, but the corners of his mouth were twitching. 'And he's still asleep.'

They both turned to look at Harry, who was sound asleep on the floor. Draco had awoken and tugged his wrist out of Harry's grasp immediately.

'We'll have to wake him,' said Hermione.

She shook Harry awake gently, and Draco went out into the corridor to check what time it was.

He returned in a matter of seconds, gasping for breath. 'Hermione,' he said warningly, and Harry looked up at him with bleary eyes. 'Classes have started. We've been here all night.'

A/N : Forgive me for the Lily/Draco bit... I have dibs on a possible Lily/Draco fic... Wait. Draco? Put that sword away, now, put it down... Of course it isn't going to be _this_ fic, though... Wait! Don't throw that!


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